In the garden and beyond

‘Luscious Pinkberry Blend’ Lantana

Butterflies love lantana, so do bees and hummingbirds. Helping these pollinators, which are in decline, is more important than ever, another reason to plant lantana in your garden. If your space is limited, you can set up a Container Garden Wayside Station. Lantana is one of the recommended plants for container plantings of both nectar plants and caterpillar host species that support the complete life cycle of monarch butterflies.

Set against dark green foliage, the soft colors of this new Proven Winner annual remind me of scoops of lemon and raspberry sherbet. Look closely (click on the photo) and you’ll see that each flower is actually made up of florets.

‘Luscious Pinkberry Blend’ is easy to grow in full sun, is heat and drought tolerant and blooms right through to frost in Zones 5 and 6. It has a mounding habit, and will grow about 2 feet high and 2-3 feet wide, which makes it ideal for massed plantings. Last, but not least, the foliage has a light, sweet fragrance.